Schrodinger's Adolescent
by The Prince of Space
Summary: (Post s2) "It was these moments- when the world stopped burning and began turning once again. Where he could just let the air fully extend his lungs despite not needing to breathe." Eavesdropping secrets is an everyday normal occurrence, except when you're half-dead- Danny accidentally outs himself in front of a member of the football team, and has to erase their memory!


"-I'm just saying Danny, marry, kiss, murder: Kwan, Dash, and Dale." Tucker leaned against the bleachers, spreading his legs out and slouching. He dug his hand into the paper bag sitting between both of them.

Danny gave his friend a side glance, before taking a bite out his double meaty fatty bacon melt from the Nasty Burger," Okay but why are my choices all sharing one brain cell, and they're all suspiciously on the football team?"

Tuck shrugged gesturing to the field," Because we've already exhausted this game with all possible cheerleader combinations."

"Can I judge them based on how hard they punch?" The ghost asked facetiously.

"I mean you aren't positively falling for Kwan's passivity?" Tucker said while lacing his fingers together in mock swoon, before rolling his eyes.

"Honestly I wouldn't laugh Tucker," Danny snorted," You've become a lot more flexible with your sexuality after that spat with Hotep Ra."

"Puh-lease, Daniel," Foley attempted to defend himself," you wouldn't understand if you had a-a big muscular dude at your beck and call."

"Who looked like a missing member of the Village People," Fenton quipped while tonguing a piece of onions trapped between his molars.

It had been a while that Danny could live through those highly fantasized idyllic teen years that he always saw glorified in John Hughes' movies. It wasn't like he was missing out on any adventures of his own- he just wanted something of the less life-threatening variety. The mundane drama that most fresh-man experienced, like winter formal jitters- or homecoming games… prom court- he craved any moment of normalcy he could achieve. When Danny was younger he was waiting for his life to begin, it was just a shame that it was over before it really started. Like a radio edit of your favorite song they always seem to cut it at the best part.

The sun at his back, the spring wind that was quietly turning to stagnant summer heat. It was something he wanted to feel again. Where he didn't act like being half-dead was anything to fear. Much like the astroturf on the field, his body more served as a symbol that he was indeed still here but no longer really... organic. Moments that didn't feel like they could be snatched away. It wasn't those big keg ragers that he saw in Animal House that he was looking forward to anymore. It was these moments- when the world stopped burning and began turning once again. Where he could just let the air fully extend his lungs despite not needing to breathe. Where he could just be Danny Fenton, himself.

"Hush," Tucker shot back," Pick your man meat."

Choking both on his burger and his laughter," Why are you like this? Do you need for me to explain to you just how wrong that sounds?"

"You're stalling."

"Oh my god, you're impossible," Danny took a sip of his large soda that he had been sharing with his friend, he cleared his throat," Uh jeez, none of them are real winners…"

Tucker raised an eyebrow.

"Okay… okay gun to my head: I would murder Dale without question," Fenton pointed him out of the flock of football players wearing the Casper high Crow uniforms, he was the lanky tight-end.

Tucker seemed to fold in on himself with abrupt laughter, either cracking up at the way Danny phrased it or the fact that Dale seemed so innocuous compared to the other choices. The lack of restraint or mercy was hysterical," Why- wh-what did Dale ever do to you?"

"Oh nothing," Danny admitted resting his back into the bench while polishing his nails off on his shirt," but I think I could kill him and get away with it. I mean think about it- does anyone ever really notice when Dale is or isn't around?"

"You got a sick mind Fenton," Foley noted, but sat up balling his fists excitedly," but I love it. Let's see is it going to be Mr. Kwan Fenton or Mr. Dash Fenton?"

"God," Danny exclaimed his mind generating a horrifying reality of Kwan or Dash in a white tux paired with a shimmery sheer veil," If I'm lucky I'll be a widower and a nice healthy life insurance policy off of one of their hides to invest in your future start-up company."

"Aw, I'm flattered you include me in your hypothetical murder plots." He meant that genuinely, Tucker was honestly happy to be included in anything.

"Hey, hey I didn't say it was murder- more than likely it would be an unfortunate accident like uhhh…" Danny paused in thought,"... a totally legit lawnmower malfunction."

"You've been hanging around Sam too much."

Fenton plucked a few fries from the bottom of the bag, the very stench of cooked beef made Sam nauseous. Often Danny saved the comfort food sessions for just Tucker, "Is it that obvious?"

"Still, either way, you have to exchange vows with one of those dim bulbs." Tucker removed a digital camera from his bag and began to take some snapshots of the cheerleaders performing a trio of high-v jumps.

"Crap, you're right." Danny rolled his eyes," I can see myself falling in love with Kwan then entering into a boring marriage and then putting arsenic in his jello." The sharp sound of crumping his burger wrapper and foil cut through the dull hubbub from the field.

Fenton still wondered if this technically qualified as marry, kiss, murder if he wanted to murder all of his options," Kwan's sweet like a kitten he wouldn't know what hit him."

"Okay, no," Foley elbowed Ghost in the chest," that is your mom talking."

"I was brought up around a lot of violent women, what can I say?" It wasn't a lie, it felt he was definitely the more passive one of his relationships, he was very nonconfrontational until it couldn't be avoided. Such as combat with ghosts.

Tucker scratched his hair through his beret, then his smile twisted into his cheek. He looked out to the field to see if he could spot the quarterback in question, "Ouch, that just leaves you tongue wrestling with Dash Baxter."

"It would be one kiss and then I'd put his corpse next to Dale and Kwan's in my mansion's suspiciously spacious backyard," Danny said chest deflating at the thought, he still thought his choices were well made.

"Wow, I didn't know Vlad was in vogue, or would it be called Vlannel?"

"Dude Shut up," Danny chuckled but pondered the thought," and it would be Vladdel, I'm pretty sure."

Tucker still reeling from the simple round had trouble articulating," I-I just can't b-believe you would kiss Dash Baxter out of all of them, your arch-nemesis!"

"Well firstly, it wouldn't have any romantic connotation to it." Fenton made an x motion with his fingers, almost disgusted with the thought," Second, I definitely couldn't imagine myself in a prolonged conversation let alone marriage with him."

"Thirdly 'arch-nemesis' is a bit of a stretch that would imply that I think about him a regular basis- honestly he's tied with the Box Ghost in terms of relevance- and lastly I think the whole orbit of the school would be thrown off kilter if anything were to happen to star quarterback: Dash Baxter."

"Yet somehow with all that logic, you are still a C student."

"Mostly because I have the responsibility of keeping the freeloading ghost population down, and I blow off studying to play stupid word games with you and watch the cheerleaders practice."

"Okay, I guess I would kill Dash-" Tucker punctuated the first choice with," Obviously."

"Seeing as you were sweet-talking about Kwan earlier-"

Foley interrupted, "Marry Kwan, and that leaves Dale to mack with."

"Really, Dale? Out of all our bullies, he's certainly lacking a… what do you call it- oh yeah, a personality."

"So now you're saying you'd make out with Dash because of his charm?" Tucker couldn't really follow that thought; that would be like subjecting himself to getting a chip clip to the nipple. Yeah, at first you're curious, but you know how nerve endings work.

Attempting to argue his position Danny pushed back on Tucker's choice pointing once again at Dale, "I mean I'd rather kiss Dash than Dale. I imagine kissing Dale I would have to do all the work y'know? I just feel like I should take the one I know would have experience for keeping the ladies satisfied."

"Now who's the gay one?" Tucker joked while lining up the frame to see if he could get a big candid group shot for the school's paper.

"Yeah, you got me, Tucker. Danny Fenton 'the Phantom' of Amity Park is actually a closeted homosexual." Danny sighed from his nose, sarcastically remarking," I think I heard that in the inquirer?" Danny rolled his eyes once more, turning around to the back of the bleachers to throw away his trash. Finding his footing he placed one foot leading upward to the closed snack bar.

Then all too suddenly his blood froze almost solid- it was as if his Ghost Sense had chilled his body. If his heart could still beat now seemed for it to come back, he thought he was going to faint- it was as if all the strength in his knees dropped and then floated as if he was mid-ghost.

A football player was standing at the top of the empty bleachers. He had heard something. He was just standing there staring at him. Not anyone else, just Danny. It was as if the rest of the field had fallen away. There was no one else right now except for him and this person who knew way more than he'd like. The large looming figure was blocking out the setting sun, drawing a shadow on Danny. He was just looking at him- just as frozen as he was.

That kid heard him talking about being the Phantom. He knew- he knew- that stranger knew.

Before Danny had the chance to go up and confront the football player, he took off! Running away from the field like they were also terrified. Losing a grip on his tangible form, Danny put his foot down on the bench only to fall completely through.

With a shot of adrenaline, his human half responded by solidifying itself once again causing Fenton to land on the ground, almost nearly collapsing from the fall.

"Danny!?" Tucker called out, hopping to his feet," Are you okay?"

The ghost grunted frustratedly, "Tucker…!"

"Sorry! Standard question!"

Danny yelled," Some jock heard me blabbing about being the Phantom I'm gonna try and head him off! Goddamit!" A fist hit the grass," Me and my stupid big mouth!"

"Is that really the best idea?!" Tucker exclaimed with equal volume, trying to cover Danny and draw attention to only himself.

"I don't have any others!" He picked himself up from the ground screaming up through the wooden slats vehemently. Now covered in dirt and grass stains he charged from under the structure. The silhouette of the football player was running on the concrete path leading back into the Casper High Gym- upon seeing the target Danny picked up his pace, each footfall landing harder as his hair flew in the wind. He sprinted without a plan- without real direction other than forward, after a burgundy jersey.

When he reached the parking lot he saw his portly English and homeroom teacher, Mr. Lancer. He had his jacket over his forearm carrying a superfluous black leather briefcase, he was bent over at an angle unlocking his car. Lancer poked his head up, trying to spread his fast expiring patience and tolerance for the students," Hello , where's the fire?"

Danny dodging the question with a dismissive,"heymrlancerhowareyou?ImfineIcan'ttalknowofftogostudyokaythanksbye!" without faltering in the slightest he performed a slide on the hood of Lancer's car. Still continuing his pursuit of the football player.

"GOOD BRAVE NEW WORLD, MR. FENTON I BETTER NOT SEE SO MUCH AS A CHEEK PRINT ON MY CAR."

So much for normal.


End file.
